THE RUNDOWN
Illinois State outlasted DBU 4-3 in the series opener Friday night at Duffy Bass Field. After 10 innings of rain-soaked baseball, a throwing error to first base scored the go-ahead run and gave the Redbirds (16-21, 4-6)  their first win over the Patriots since 2019. Jacob Meader matched his career-high with 11 punchouts through 5.1 innings pitched and Nate Rombach had another multi-hit day with a pair of doubles, but DBU would slip to 5-5 in conference play and 25-16 overall.

DBU was 90 feet away from taking the lead in the top of the 10th frame. With two outs and nobody on, Jace Grady doubled to left field on a 1-1 offering. He then stole third before a strikeout left him stranded at third base. After retiring the first eight batters he faced through four innings out of the bullpen, Chandler Arnold returned to the mound for the home half of the 10th. Where a one-out walk put the game-winning run on base in the form of Greg Nichols, and a wild pitch advanced the runner to second base. After an intentional walk put base runners on second and third, Nichols came home to end the game on a chopper from Nick Gile that could not be turned into a double play. 

Once again, runs off free passes proved costly for the Patriots. Illinois State took the lead in the second inning when a hit batter and a walk put the first runs two on the basepaths. An RBI groundout and a passed ball brought both runners home and staked the Redbirds to a 2-0 lead. 

A solo home run from Ryan Cermak put the Patriots down 3-0 in the third frame, and they would be held silent for the next two innings before punching back. In the sixth inning, Jace Grady was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a base hit by Andrew Benefield. The two then executed a double steal that moved Grady over to third before sending him home on a throwing error that made it a 3-1 contest. 

Luke Heefner led off the seventh inning with a single into right field before scoring on a Nate Rombach double drilled down the left-field line. A sacrifice fly from Miguel Santos would bring Rombach home for DBU's last run of the game. 

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW 
- The Patriots dropped their third consecutive series opener. 
- Jacob Meador has registered 11 strikeouts in two of his last three starts. 
- Jace Grady stole his 19th and 20th bases of the season.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 
7 - DBU outhit Illinois State 7-6 
1 - Only one of the Redbirds' runs was scored off a base hit. 
6 - Each squad left six stranded on base. 

ON DECK 
The first pitch for game two is set for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. 
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